Tamal-machine.



H. H. HOOD.

TAMAL MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 3, 1912.

1,168,305, Patented Jan. 18, 1916.

3 SHEETS-SHEET I.

H. H. HOOD. TAMAL MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 3, 1912. 1,168,305, Patented Jan. 18, 1916.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2- Li/h 0 H50 H. H. HUOD.

TAMAL MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 3. I912.

Patented Jan. 18, 1916.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HARRY H. HOOD, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR T0 SPRAGUE CANNING MACHINERY COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

TAMAL-MACHINE.

Application filed April 3, 1912.

To all whom at may concern:

Be it known that I, HARRY H. Hoon, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Tamal-Machines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to machines for forming products having an outer inclosing tube of one material and an inner core of another material, and is particularly, although not exclusively, adapted for making tamales.

I am aware that machines have heretofore been constructed for forming tamales and the like, but the objection has been that these are not continuous in operation but llElVB been provided with cylinders for the tube-making and core-making material, which cylinders it has been necessary to pcriodically replenish, stopping the machine to perform this operation. A further disadvantage of machines heretofore built has been that the tube and the core have been of different consistencies, and the material has pot been delivered in a substantially straight It is the object of my invention to provide means by which the formation of the tamales is continuous and by which the individual tamales are automatically cut off, the various parts of the machine being so formed that the consistency of the tube and core of the product is substantially the same. A further object consists in providing means by which the tam-ales will be delivered from the machine in substantially a straight line1 without any tendency for the product to our These and other advantages of my invention will be more readily understood by reference to the accompanying drawings, which show a preferred embodiment of my invention, and in which:

Figure 1 is a front elevation, partly in section, of my improved machine; Fig. 2 is a fragmentary enlarged front elevation showing the means for compressing the materials which are to form the tube and core of the tamal; Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the parts Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 18, 1916.

Serial No. 688,333.

shown in Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a plan of the parts shown in Fig. 2; Fig. 5 is a vertical section taken on the line 55 of Fig. 2; Fig. 6 is a vertical section on the line 6-6 of Fig. 3; and Fig. 7 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical section showing a portion of the tubeand core-forming mechanism.

Mounted on the platform 10 are the supports 11, 12, 13 and 14 for the purpose of carrying the various parts of my machine. Attached to the support 11 is the bracket 15, which, in turn, carries the cylinder 16, to which is attached the hopper 17, this hopper being for the purpose of receiving the mush which is subsequently to form the tubes of the tamales. Connected with the cylinder 16 is a second cylinder 18, within which is a pressure-equalizing device controlled by the weights 19 mounted on the rod 20. Passing through the cylinder 16 is a conveyer of suitable type, as, for example, a screw conveyer, (not shown) which is operated by the sprocket 21. The sprocket 21 is, in turn, connected with'the sprocket 22 by the chain 23. Sprocket 22 is mounted on the end of shaft 24, which is carried by suitable bearings in the supports 11 and 12. .eThe shaft 24 is provided with the beveled gear 25 in mesh with the gear 26, mounted on shaft 27, which is driven by the pulley 28. Connected to the lower end of the cylinder 18 is the conduit 29 provided with a screw conveyer or the like, (not shown) which is operated by the sprocket 30 connected with the sprocket 31 on the shaft 24 by the chain 32. From conduit 29 the conduit 33 extends to the casing 34, within which is the mush-compressing cylinder 35, the passage 36 in the casing 34 registering with the lowerend of the conduit 33, as clearly shown in Fig. 6.

Carried by the support 14 is the conduit 37, to which is connected the hopper 38 for receiving the meat or similar material which is subsequently to form the cores of the tamales. Passing through conduit 37 is a screw conveyer or the like, (not shown) driven by the sprocket 39, which is connected with the sprocket 40 by the chain 41. Sprocket 40 is mounted on the shaft 42, which is carried by the supports 13 and 14,

and has on its end a beveled gear 43 in mesh with the gear 26. The conduit 44 extends downwardly from the conduit 37 to the casing 34, and registers with the passage 45 connected with the meat-compressing cylinder 46. as best seen in Fig. 6.

Carried by the frame 47 is a shaft 48 having eccentrically cut portions 49. Mounted on the shaft 48 is the driving sprocket 50, which is connected by a suitable chain with a similar sprocket mounted on the shaft 27 which is driven by the pulley 28, as previously described. Mounted on one end of the shaft 48 is the cam 51 which has the guideway 52 engaged by a roller carried by the pin 5-1 on the end of arm 65, which, in turn, is rigidly mounted on the rock-shaft 56 carried by the frame 47. Also rigidly mounted on the rock-shaft 56 are the hubs 57 and 58 of the levers 59 and 60, respectively. The lever 59 is pivotally connected with the up per end of the link 61., the lower end of which is pivotally connected with the slide 62 having therein the aperture 63. The slide 62 operates in suitable guide-ways 64 and when in its raised position closes the meat passage 45.

The lever is pivotally connected through link 61 with the upper end of the slide 65 which has the aperture 66 and the lower cuttin edge 67. This slide operates within suital le guide-ways 68 and when in its raised position closes the passage 36. It will be evident that as the shaft 48 is rotated the arm 55 will be moved, the rockshaft 56 will be partially rotated. and the slides 62 and 65 will be simultaneously raised and lowered. \Vhen these two slides are in their lowered positions the apertures 63 and 66 are brought into register with the passages 45 and 36 respectively. Mounted on the eccentric portions 49 of the shaft 18 are the bearings 69 which are connected by arms 70 with the ends of the levers 71. Each of these levers is provided with a pivotal mounting 72 which is adjustable in a slot 72 in the lever and a'corresponding slot 73 in the frame 47. It will be evident that by proper adjustment of the pivotal mounting 72 within the slots just mentioned the throw of the front end 74 of each of these levers may be regulated as desired. One of the levers 71 is pivotally connected at its forward end with the plunger 75, whereas the other lever 71 is similarly connected with the plunger 76.

It will now be apparent that as the shaft 48 is rotated the plungers 7 5 and 76 will be raised and lowered through the instrumentality of the levers 71, the extent of travel of these plungers being regulated by the adjustment of the pivotal mountings 72. The plunger 76 operates within the meal-compressing chamber 35 and the plunger 7 5 within the meat-compressing chamber 46.

tering In the lower part of the compressing chamber 35 is placed the sheath forming tube 7 7, having the beveled end 78 facing in a downward direction so that any meal which is expressed from the chamber 35 must pass around the edge 79 of the tube 77 before ensaid tube. The opposite end of the tube 7 is freely open to the exterior.

Extending into the tube 77 is the core forming pipe 80 having the bore 81, which is funnel-shaped at its end 82. The pipe 80 communicates with the passage 83 directly below the lower end of the compression chamber 46, and is closed at its end by the plug 84.

Having thus described the various parts used in my invention. its operation may now be readily understood: Meal from which the tube or sheath of the tamales is to be formed is placed in the hopper 17 from which it is carried by a suitable conveyer through the cylinder 16 to the cylinder 18, where the material is compressed a certain fixed amount by the action of the weights 19. The material then passes into the conduit 29 and thence into the conduit 33. At the same time the meat which is to form the core of the tamales is placed in the hopper 38 and thence passes through the action of a suitable conveyer through the conduits-37 and M. Let us now assume that the positions of the various operating parts are such that the slides 62 and 65 are in their lowered positions so that the apertures 63 and 66 are brought into register with the passages 45 and 36 respectively. The adjustment of parts is such that the plungers and 76 are now in their raised positions, thereby allowing the meat on the one hand and themeal on the other to pass into the compression chambers 46 and As the machine continues to operate, the slides 62 and 66 will be raised. thereby stopping the How of meat and meal through the passages 45 and 36. The plungers 75 and 76 now begin to descend. The meal within the chamber 35 is forced into the tube 77, occupying the annular space between the outside of the pipe and the inside of the tube 77. At the same time the meat within the chamber 46 and the passage 83 is forced through the bore 81 of the pipe 80. and on reaching the left-hand end of pipe 80, according to the illustration of the invention shown in Fig. 6. the meat is evenly deposited within the tube or sheath of meal which is expressed through the annular space between the interior of the i tube 77 and the exterior of the pipe 80. On

account of the position of the end 78 of the tube 77, it will be found that the tamales are forced out in a substantially straight line and that there is no tendency for them to curl upwardly, which would be the case if the tube 77 were cut off straight. As the machine continues to operate still further the plungers 75 and 76 are again raised, and there is an interruption of the forcing of the meal and meat from the chambers 35 and 46. At the same time the slides 62 and 65 descend and the knife edge 67 of the slide 65 passes across the end of the tube 77, thereby cutting off a tamal, while at the same time the apertures 66 and 63 have been brought into register with the passages 36 and 45. The cycle of operations then continues as just described, with the result that a continuous series of tamales is rapidly formed, these being removed from the platform 10 as desired.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that many changes could be made in the detailed construction of the parts which I have described without departing from the spirit or scope of my invention.

\Vhat I claim is:

1. Ina device of the class described, the combination of a sheath forming tube having 'an intake orifice disposed substantially in a plane oblique to the longitudinal axis of its intake end, and a core forming tube disposed Within the first-named tube.

2. In a device of the class described, the combination of a sheath forming tube having an intake orifice disposed oblique to the longitudinal axis of its intake end, and a core forming tube concentrically disposed within the first-named tube. i

3. In a device of the class described, the combination of a sheath-forming tube having its intake end disposed oblique to its longitudinal axis, a core-forming tube disposed within the first-named tube, a feed conduit for the sheath-forming tube, and a combined cut-ofi' and severing member for the feed conduit and the discharge end of the sheath-forming tube respectively.

4. In a machine of the class described, a pair of'chamloers, each chamber including compressing mechanism, a sheath-forming tube having its intake endconnected with one of the chambers, a feed conduit for said chamber, a core-forming tube having its intake end communicating with the other chamber and projecting into the sheathforming tube, and a combined cut-ofi" and knife coacting with said feed conduit and the discharge end of the sheathforming tube, respectively.

5. In a device of the class described, a pair of chambers, feed conduits for said chambers, compression mechanism arran ed in each of the chambers,- a sheath forming tube arranged in one of the chambers and having its intake end disposed oblique to its longitudinal axis, a core forming tube communicating with the other chamber and projecting into the sheath forming tube and terminating substantially flush with the discharge end thereof, and cut-oil mechanism coacting with each of the conduits, one of the cut-offs constituting a knife to coact with the discharge end of the sheath forming. tube to sever the product issuing therefrom.

6. In a device of the class described, the combination of a first compression cylinder, sheath forming means connected with said cylinder, a feed conduit leading to said cylinder, a second compression cylinder, core forming means connected with said second cylinder and leading to said sheath forming means, means for feedin material to said first cylinder, means for eeding material to said second cylinder, and a combined cut-off and knife coacting with the discharge ends of the sheath forming and core forming means and with the feed conduit, substantially as described.

7. In a device of the class described, the combination of a first compression cylinder, 2. plunger within said cylinder, means for reciprocating said plunger, sheath forming means connected with said cylinder, a feed conduit leading to said cylinder, a second compression cylinder, .a plunger within said second cylinder, means for reciprocating said second plunger, core forming means connected with said second cylinder and leading to said sheath forming means, means for feeding material to said first cylinder, means for feeding material to said second cylinder through said conduit, and a combined cut-off and knife coacting with the discharge end of the sheath forming and core forming means and with the feed conduit, substantially as described.

8. In a device of the class described, the combination of a first compression cylinder, a tube connected with said cylinder and having an intake lip disposed substantially in a plane oblique to the longitudinal axis of its intake end, a second compression cylinder, a pipe connected with said second cylinder and extending within said tube, means for feeding material to said first cylinder, means for feeding material to said second cylinder, means for forcing material from said cylinders, whereby the material in said first cylinder and the material in said second cylinder will form a product having an outer tube or sheath and an inner core, and means for cutting said product into prede' termined lengths, substantially as described.

9. In a device of the class described, the combination of a first compression cylinder, sheath forming means connected with said cylinder and having an intake lip disposed substantially in a plane oblique to the longitudinal axis of its intake end, a second compression cvlinder, means for supplying ma terial to the inside of the tube formed by the sheath forming means of said first cylinder, means for supplying material to said first cylinder, means for supplying material to said second cylinder, means for interm ttently interrupting the supplying of materlal to said cylinders, and means for expressing material from said cylinders during said interruptions, substantially as described.

10. In a tamal machine, the combination of a meal-compressing cylinder, sheath forming means connected with said cylinder, and having an intake lip disposed substantially in a plane Oblique to the longitudinal axis of its intake end, a plunger adapted to reciprocate within said cylinder, a meat-compressing cylinder, core forming means connected with said meat-compressing cylinder and leading to the interior of said sheath forming means, a plunger adapted to reciprocate within said meatcompressing cylinder, means for supplying meal to said meal-compressing cylinder, means for supplying meat to said meat-compressing cylinder, and means for simultaneously actuating said plungers, whereby a tamal consisting of a tube or sheath of meal and a core of meat will be formed, substantially as described.

11. In a tamal machine, the combination of a meal-compressing cylinder, a plunger adapted to'reciprocate within said cylinder, a tube extending from said cylinder at substantially a right-angle to the main axis of the latter, said tube having a beveled end, a meat compressing cylinder, a plunger adapt ed to reciprocate within said cylinder, a pipe leading from said cylinder and extending within said tube, means for simultaneously actuating said plungers, whereby a sheath of meal will be formed by forcing meal through the annular space between the exterior of said pipe and the interior of said tube and meat will be forced through said pipe into the interior of the sheath of meal, and a knife coacting with the discharge ends of the tube and pipe and constituting a cutoff for controlling the supply of meal to the meal-compressing cylinders, substantially as described.

12. In a tamal machine, the combination of a meal-compressing cylinder, 3. plunger adapted to reciprocate within said cylinder, a tube extending from said cylinder at substantially a right-angle to the main axis of the latter, said tube having a beveled end, a meat-compressing cylinder, a plunger adapted to reciprocate within said cylinder, a pipe leading from said cylinder and extending within said tube, means for simultaneously actuating said plungers,'whereby a. sheath of meal will be formed by forcing meal through the annular space between the exterior of said pipe and the interior of said tube and meat will be forced through said pipe into the interior of the sheath of meal, means for interrupting the supply of meal and meat to their respective compressing cylinders during the period of forcing said meal and meat from said cylinders, and

means for simultaneously severing the finished product into predetermined lengths, and for cutting off the supply of meal to the meal compressing cylinders, substantially as described.

13. In a tamal machine, the combination of a meal-compressing cylinder, a plunger adapted to reciprocate within said cylinder, a tube extending from said cylinder at substantially a right-angle to the main axis of the latter, said tube having a beveled end, a meat-compressing cylinder, :1 plunger adapted to reciprocate within said cylinder, a pipe leading from said cylinder and extending within said tube, means for simultaneously actuating said plungers, whereby a sheath of meal will be formed by forcing meal through the annular space between the exterior of said pipe and the interior of said tube and meat will be forced through said pipe into the interior of the sheath of meal, a slide associated with the means for supplying meal to said meal-compressing cylinder, and embodying a knife to coact with the discharge ends of the tube and pipe for severing the product into predetermined lengths, a slide associated with the means j for supplying meat to the meat-compressing cylinder, and means for operating said slides in timed relation to said plungers, whereby the supply of meal and meat to their cylinders will be interrupted during the periods of compression by said plungers, substantially as described.

14:. In a tamal machine, a casing having two chambers arranged therein in parallel relation, 8 plunger in each chamber, one chamber constituting the meal compressing and the other the meat compressing chamber, means for supplying meal and meat to the respective chambers, a sheath forming member arranged within and at the bottom of the meal compressing chamber and having its intake end beveled and facing in a downward direction, a core forming tube communicating with the meat compressing chamber and projecting into the sheath forming tube and terminating substantially flush with the outer end thereof, a cut-off coacting with each of the chambers, the cutoff associated with the meal compressing chamber having its lower end beveled to constitute a knife to coact with the discharge ends of the sheath forming and core forming tubes to sever the finished product into predetermined lengths 15. A machine of the character described, including a chamber, a discharge tube extending into said chamber, one side of said tube extending farther in an axial direction into said chamber than the other side, said machine having a feed passage leading to the farther extending side of said discharge tube.

16. A machine of the character described, tube, and a second discharge tube disposed including a chamber, a discharge tube ex- Within said first tube.

i (P i L tend n lntc sa d chambei, OIIGQSILIQ of said HARRY H HOOD; tube extending farther in an a.\1al dlrection into said chamber than the other s1de,-sa1d Htnesses: machlne h'aX'ing a feed passage leading to LELAXD O. BABCOCK the farther extending side of said discharge MARY E. MCCARTHY.

16. A machine of the character described, including a chamber, a discharge tube extending into said chamber, one side of said tube extending farther in an axial direction into said chamber than the other side, said machine having a feed passage leading to the farther extending side of said discharge Correction in Letters Patent No. 1,168,305.

correction as follows: Page 3, line 29, claim 2,

tube, and a second discharge tube disposed Within said first tube.

HARRY H. HOOD.-

It is herebycertified that in Letters Patent N 0. 1,168,305, granted January 1S, 1916, upon the application of Harry H. Hood, of Chicago Illinois, for an improvement in Tamail-Machines," an error appears in the printed specification requiring after the W011i disposed insert the Words itbSiGTtt'iltZZj/ in a plane; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with this correction therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 28th day of March, A. D., 1916.

[SEAL] J. T. NEWTON.

Acting Commissioner of Patents. 01. 107-1.

Correction in Letters Patent No. 1,168,305.

It is hereby certified that in Letters Patent No. 1,168,305, granted January IS.

1916, upon the application of Harry H. Hood. of Chicago, Illinois, for an imprm vmontin "'lamal-Mnchinos." an error appears in the printed specification requiring correction as follows: Page 3, line 29. claim 2 after the word disposoiV insm'l the words substantially in H 111mm; and that the said Letters Patent should he read with this correction therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 28th day of March, A. D., 1916.

[SEAL] J. T. NEWTON.

01 Acting Commissioner of Patent- 

